You're No Exception
by xXAsuka-chanXx
Summary: I was born with a curse.I know how long you have left to live by the lifeline above your head.Until I got involved with her I distanced myself from the world.Now I'm watching the numbers of her lifeline fall- why does she have 2? Kami..shes going to die
1. Keep Her Away At All Costs

**You're No Exception**

**So I decided that I was going to make this multi-chaptered after all. ^^ It was originally called Savin' a Shinobi, but since this is an AU fic, the name sort of lost its purpose. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Naruto or the inspiration, the video Savin' Me by Nickelback.**

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_21. 48. 19. 42. 104._

Sigh.

_42. 56. 23. 45. 226._

Sometimes I wondered. Wondered if I was an abomination in God's eyes. That I was born to live on Earth as a curse; a devil's advocate; forever damned to hell.

_56. 14. 0. 23. 123._

Who else could explain this..._thing _I could do? It was far from a gift. I knew that much. I was incapable of helping them.

Incapable of helping- saving- anyone.

My persona as an average human could fool anyone, though. Even myself-under the circumstances of being the last person on Earth. And being in a room of mirrors. No one could see passed the mask of a life I had created for myself as an extremely wealthy owner of an impossibly successful company in the vast city of Konoha.

But like all curses, there were no refunds. No return policies. No compromises. No off buttons.

It was possible that _I _was the one doomed in this world. As if I were a fallen Prophet sent from the heavens. One meant to tell of great things to save others lives. But along the way, had fallen into temptation and lost all abilities except one...

One absolutely useless...

_30. 23. 22. 18. 36._

Perhaps, upon being born, I had laid a hand upon the Shinigami and had been cursed for all of my days? Maybe- just maybe I wasn't _meant _to live and walk among others of this earth. And as punishment I would walk among the living.

_60. 34. 17. 50. 145. _

Or should I say the dead.

Now you know that I am not normal. I know more about you than you think, without actually _knowing _you. Don't mistake me for a stalker though, for I have not taken more than one glance at you.

_87. 43. 24. 27. 148._

You could say… that I could tell the future. The only future that anyone could be _sure _of. And _that _is death.

I know the exact minute- down to the last second- that you will die. Each person has a crimson lifeline above their heads. Something only I can see, because I have been cursed with Shinigami eyes.

The persona I had created for myself was tactical, smart; to order special leave-in obsidian contacts when, over the years, my eye color had darkened to a blood red.

My eyes, at one point of my life though, had not been this menacing red. My brother described them as copper; rust-brown. Onyx was the only color that could successfully cover this wretched color.

_18. 27. 57. 31. 57._

Such a menacing color that it pierced your very soul so they knew when you were going to die in less than an instant.

One glance at the numbers above your head was all it took.

But of course, the contacts had only been a futile attempt to block the effects of this curse. As I had said before, curses had no off buttons.

But even the cursed were ignorant to what they were at one time. I was not always _aware _that I was different. I had not been able to comprehend the numbers above my friends, family, classmates, and ordinary strangers' heads. I figured they were mere numbers, nothing more.

How I wish I still lived the life I had among the ignorant.

These humans…the _dead_ are so oblivious to the fact that one_ wrong _step, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, could end their lives so _suddenly_. So **quickly**…

And they would never even know what hit them.

At a young age, I realized that I could not stay ignorant. I would soon learn what the numbers above each head would mean. I would also understand that with every precious person taken away from me, my eyes would darken along with my heart.

The only one in my family that never ever was "too busy" to spend time with me, the most precious person in my life at the time- my mother, would be taken away from me first.

Her numbers were the first ones I saw hit zero.

_56. 78. 12. 34. 197._

She had always been such a healthy woman, though. Seeming unbreakable, yet warm and compassionate with everyone she came in contact with.

Until one day, the numbers above her head fell back drastically. It was as if someone had knocked them off.

All but two numbers.

_(27 and 32)._

I had tried to tell her. Everything inside me had known that something terrible was going to happen to her. Though I had not understood the importance of these numbers, even then- in the crevices of my mind- did I know that the numbers were supposed to _stay there_.

But somehow, as if the same unknown presence that had struck my mother's numbers, my throat tightened and my jaw was clenched shut.

_It _stopped me from telling her.

My mother was shot that day. The 27 stood for minutes. And the 32 stood for seconds.

I was seven at the time.

At my mother's funeral my eyes began to turn from a soft copper to a bleak red. Yet, with this change, the numbers began to get mysteriously clearer. As if someone was beginning to remove a layer of film from my eyes.

The second layer of film was removed when I was fifteen. My father's lifeline suddenly took a nose dive, as did my mother's. He only had four years left to live, yet I could- once again, not tell him.

Just as his lifeline had told me, my father died. Of a heart attack.

I saw the blood red letters clearer than ever now, causing my eyes to begin turning more crimson than rust colored. It was as if someone had finally begun wiping my vision of the blurriness. I was both relieved and terrified.

Because the blurriness was still there. Meaning that there was still one "film" left.

I would have to lose someone else for my vision to clear.

When I realized this, I distanced myself from my peers and my family. I would not burden anyone else with my curse because those who had mysteriously died had been relatively close to me. Two of my precious people…my parents.

Yet, as much as I pushed everyone away, two seemed to get past the barrier I had created for myself. They drew themselves closer to me than I had imagined possible.

_48. 90. 42. 24. 123._

One was an annoying blonde I had known since childhood; Uzumaki Naruto. I was not worried about his safety, in a sense, because nothing he did shortened his lifeline; even when he had nearly broken his spine when his bungee jumping experience had gone terribly wrong).

He truly was indestructible.

But the other…

"_Sasuke-kun, I was wondering...if you would like to do something after school-?" _

…the other…

"_No, Sakura."_

The other was _far _from unbreakable.

"_I-I…Gomen na sai. Perhaps another time…"_

Haruno Sakura.

I had to push _her _away the most.

To keep her as far away from me as humanly possible- since I saw her _every day. _I refused to look up to meet her face when it was avoidable. I couldn't allow these cursed eyes of mine to look at her for more than half a second. It was easier to not look at her lifeline that way.

(Easier to not see her exact time of death. Easier to not think if I had damned her just because she was infatuated with me).

Yet, as I distanced myself from her, I also drew closer to her than anyone else; subconsciously. I observed her closely, realizing a few admirable traits she had picked up from Naruto or had developed over the years.

Her persistence was something commendable, something worthy of what she was pursuing; becoming a doctor. Something she had inherited from our idiot, blonde, mutual best friend. When she put her mind to something, she never gave up.

Sakura was also truly self-less. While I was pursuing a business major and she pursued medicine, in her spare time she volunteered at the local hospital, despite her fatigue from studying.

But one thing I noticed made me fearful for the first time since the moments before my father's death. It was almost enough to move myself half across the country…

"_Sakura-san! Would you care to accompany me on a youthful night as this?" asked a bushy eye-browed, bowl-haired man as he approached a pink haired girl. _

"_I…" emerald eyes flicked towards a raven haired man. His back was turned to them, yet subconsciously he had felt her eyes on him. "I…Sorry, Lee-kun. But I have to study tonight. And then I have to check in at the hospital. Maybe some other time?"_

"_I see…you do not have to lie to me, Sakura-san. I know that your eyes are after another."_

"_Lee-ku-"_

"_Sayonara, Sakura-san! I will not attempt to court you any longer!!" he interjected before running out of the room._

She was, without a doubt, in love with me (even though Rock Lee was more of an obsessive fan than someone Sakura would ever be mildly interested in.). Which made it nearly impossible to push her away no matter how harsh I appeared.

I also knew that she would not accept an offer from one of her many admirers (she was unusually beautiful) because of it.

75. 43. 54. 25. _108._

Meaning that she wouldn't be giving up on me anytime soon.

But deep down…

(I was **glad**. Glad that she was _mine_, even if she was out of my grasp. Even if I couldn't ever touch her, have her in my arms…)

What a selfish man I was.

I knew that I was truly damned when my will gave way three months ago. It had been over a year after graduation since I had seen her. I had already inherited Uchiha Co., running it along side my brother,

x

x

x

_The man walked aimlessly through Konoha, a few blocks from Uchiha Co._

_He enjoyed getting out of his brother's grasp every once and awhile. Being held captive and commanded to work was intolerable at times. Sasuke ignored the lustful stares and envious glares from both men and women as he walked. He no longer saw people. Just lifelines, which didn't interest him._

_There were only two lifelines that had appealed to him still. . _

_One was Naruto's, who he still occasionally saw when he managed to find an hour during lunch to talk with him. This was also a way of checking if his lifeline was still "healthy". The other he never saw; avoiding at all costs._

_But of course, it didn't stop him from looking in the obituaries of the newspaper every day. Nor did it stop him from passing by the hospital every once and awhile. Just to see if she was still alive and had all her limbs…_

_"...Sasuke-kun?" asked a bewildered voice from behind him. The sweet, soprano sounding voice caused him to stiffen; suddenly freezing on the sidewalk he was walking along._

_He had hoped..._

_"Sasuke-kun...is that you?"_

_He had_ prayed_..._

_"Sa-"_

_That they would never cross paths again. That this would be the only way to keep her safe (safe from the death his eyes saw)…_

_He had been so careful; ignoring all her phone calls and letters, avoiding the times when Naruto was with her, even going to a different hospital when he had fallen ill. _

_Yet all these attempts were in vain._

_Her warm, delicate hand touched his shoulder and pulled it towards her, as if to turn him around. Unwillingly, Sasuke looked down to meet her mesmerizing, emerald eyes for a split second before looking away._

_S so he couldn't see her shocked, happy expression._

_So he couldn't see the love she still evidently had for him._

_A gasp escaped her lips. "It really _is _you…" she murmured as she continued to stare up at him. Time seemed to stop in Sasuke's eyes. He no longer saw the lifelines, or even the sidewalk he was standing on._

_Just her._

"_I missed- I mean- how have you been? Naruto told me you own Uchiha Co. now." She told him with a smile, yet Sasuke noticed from the corners of his eyes that it was somewhat forced. Because she _knew_ this already. In fact, she had been one of the _first _to know that he had inherited his father's company._

_What she _didn't_ know was why he had been ignoring her._

"_Aah." He told her emotionlessly. He had hoped that her smile would falter. That she would see that he was still impassive towards her and finally- _finally _give up._

_But instead, a bright smile curled at her lips. _

"_You never change, do you Sasuke-kun?" she asked as her hand curled around his wrist and dragged him along, to a nearby coffee shop. "I- need to get back to work…" Sasuke protested as she dragged him inside._

_She smiled. "Oh, I met up with Naruto who talked with Itachi-san. He said to take the rest of the day off because you work too hard." She frowned for a minute. "You really shouldn't, Sasuke-kun. You could land yourself in the hospital with an ulcer…"_

_Sasuke gritted his teeth as she began to ramble; perhaps to escape the silence that would fall if she didn't. _

_What was Naruto and his brother thinking? Trying to bring her closer to him intentionally? Had they not seen, realized that he had been trying to avoid her from the moment he met her?_

_(She was too precious to lose…)_

_When she sat him down, Sakura handed him a menu and began to chatter away merrily. Without any restraint or sign of stopping._

_But Sasuke listened. To every word. To every giggle. To every pause when she reached for her cup. He should've pushed her away. Should've snapped and snarled at her, as he had done with the others who had desperately tried to come close to him._

_But he _couldn't_…_

_Not with her…_

_By the time Sasuke and Sakura left the coffee shop the sun was already setting, which made her smile as the two walked along the streets, side by side. Emerald eyes looked up at him. "I'm glad I got to see you today." She murmured to him. "It's been so long…"_

"…_Hn." Sasuke replied quietly, yet his mind had been lost somewhere in her conversation and hour before._

_(How could he part from her now? She had already drawn him in…)_

"…_Maybe we can do this again sometime soon?" Sakura asked him curiously, yet she seemed to be bracing herself for the worst._

"_Sakura, no." Sasuke finally breathed after a long moment of silence._

_(It was just too dangerous)._

_Her eyes fell. "…I see…could- you at least walk me home? I don't know when I'm going to see you again. Naruto says that you're always busy and..." She asked, pleaded as her voice trailed off._

_With an agonized breath, the raven haired man nodded and motioned her to lead the way. But as he did, he didn't miss the bright smile that spread across her face._

I should've refused and told her to never pursue me again…but, as I had said before, I was a selfish man. That and…

I didn't…want to hurt her anymore..._-_

_-_

_-_

"_Well, this is it, huh?" Sakura asked with a sad smile as they stood in front of her apartment door. "Aah." He answered absently, as he heard thunder rumbling a few hundred yards away._

"_I'm going. Itachi will be expecting me-" Sasuke declared as he turned to leave. But as he did, she caught his wrist. "Sasuke-kun, wait." She begged him._

"_Let go of me, Sakura." The man commanded._

I **tried **to let go. A last, final attempt to push her away.

_Her breathing suddenly grew ragged, as if she were trying to hold back tears and a choked sob. "Sasuke-kun…why do you hate me?" _

_Sasuke stiffened, but didn't turn around. 'Hate…_her_?'_ _he thought wildly as she went on._

"_Did- I do something wrong? Back then? Is that- is that why you can't _look _at me? Do I disgust you that much?" she asked, her words were shaky now. "Or is it…because I don't look _normal_?" _

_He clenched his fists. How was she so blind? _

_(He couldn't look at her because she disgusted, it was because he wouldn't ever be able to look _away_.)_

_(And even if she didn't look '_normal'_, she was always…__**always**__ beautiful in his eyes- even if he would never admit it.)._

"…_Why won't you say anything! Sasuke-kun…."_

Suddenly, I found it easy…

"_Sasuke-kun _please_…"_

(So **very** easy)

"_At least _tell _me that you hate me…if you do that, I won't bother you ever again."_

To want to give up on what I had worked for, for the past four years (pushing her away; struggling to get her to hate me.)

Because I **wanted **her. To truly fulfill my claim on her…

And that's what I did.

_Sasuke slammed her against her apartment door roughly, causing her to gasp as she stared into his deep obsidian eyes. He gripped her shoulders tightly as she stared back at him with fearful eyes. "__**You are so**__…__**damn**__…" he growled through his teeth. _

"_So what, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked him quietly. Her emerald eyes seemed to be breaking before him now._

_His grip loosened when a sigh as he struggled to find a word. (To hurt her. To make her understand…to to have her stay attached to him forever…) In defeat, Sasuke trailed his right hand up her collarbone and to cup her cheek. "So damn…" he began again as he leaned closer to her._

"…_oblivious." (__**Annoying, beautiful, persistent, captivating, incessant, mesmerizing**__…) Sasuke finished and crushed his lips onto hers. Sakura gasped into his mouth as she her knees buckled beneath her. She would've fallen to the ground, if the raven haired man hadn't found his way around her waist. _

_Once the pinkette had realized what was happening, she slowly melted into his kiss and flung her arms around his neck into a crushing embrace. She found herself quietly moaning as he deepened the kiss, pressing her even more into the door and causing her head to spin. _

Never in my life had I found something so intoxicating as her.

_The two found themselves on her apartment floor moments later, unable to untangle themselves from each other's arms. _

_(She was showing him how much she cared, and he was showing her that he always did)._

For awhile, I had even forgotten how to breathe.

"_Sasuke-kun…" she breathed as he nibbled on her jaw. Sakura was trying to pry him off of her. He sighed in defeat again when he realized that she no longer trying to bring him impossibly close to her. "I'll stop." Sasuke replied reluctantly as he began to push himself upward._

"_No!" Sakura told him in defiance, to his surprise. With surprising strength, she dragged him back down to her. A dazed look filled her eyes as Sakura's hands found the sides of his face timidly. "Does this mean that…you don't hate me after all?" She whispered._

_Sasuke smirked and nibbled on her jaw again. "I thought you were smart, Sakura." He told her mockingly. But she shivered at how delightful her name sounded as it rolled off his tongue. A blush filled her cheeks as she stared back up at him again._

"_Then- why?"_

_Another sigh escaped his lips. "I'm dangerous, Sakura." He murmured to her. "You shouldn't associate with me I-"his voice trailed off when Sakura caressed his cheek lovingly and smiled at him. "I don't care." She told him quietly._

"_I don't want to be away from you anymore. Will you stay with me, tonight, Sasuke-kun?"_

_Shock filled Sasuke's expression._

"_S…Sakura…"_

I never thought a woman could entice me as well as she could.

Two words was all it took to destroy my defiance.

"_Please, Sasuke-kun?"_

If it was not what she had anticipated, I announced my claim on her and let my own selfish desires get the best of me that night. And they continued to, for I saw her regularly.

Even though every bone in my body, every rational thought told me to get rid of her.

But I couldn't...

"_I told you, Sasuke-kun. I don't care if it's dangerous to know you. I don't want to be away from you anymore. And I know you don't want me to either." _

That was what she told me. And she was right.

Because damn it eventually I had fallen in love with her.

So here I was, waiting for her at a street corner, outside the coffee shop where I had- hours before my first night with her- my rendezvous with Sakura. I tuned out the sounds of the construction site across the street to recall the mocking smile of my brother moments before I left to wait for the pinkette.

The expression I had worn was something Itachi had described as "the happiest expression his foolish otouto could give".

A glimpse of feet across the street caught my eye. My onyx eyes glanced upward to meet a pinkette walking towards me with a bright, shining smile plastered on her lips (a smile just for me).

But as she did this, something I hadn't acknowledged in weeks, that hadn't bothered to cross my mind since the first night with Sakura…

(The numbers)

Were suddenly very clear to me.

They flew out at me and suddenly, drastically- just as my mother's, just as my father's- began to plummet with every step she took.

My heart began to race as I looked around to find something, anything that would and could end her life.

Then, slowly, as if moving in slow motion, a girder which had been snapped from its ropes hurdled itself towards Sakura.

(My precious…_precious _Sakura…)

But just as before, something clenched itself around my neck. I was suddenly unable to talk and unable to move.

She was going to die.

Just like my mother.

Just like my father.

Her life was going to end so suddenly…and would go on as an accident.

But that's not what scared me the most.

It was the fact that as my vision wiped itself of any blurriness, I noticed that somehow, Sakura had _two _lifelines; One was above her head, as it was supposed to be.

But the other was…

"_Sasuke-kun…you and your brother are the only sons from your family left, right?"_

Kami…

"_Aah."_

**Kami**…

"_Did…you or your brother ever think about…continuing the Uchiha line one day?"_

She- Haruno Sakura- was carrying a child.

**My **child.

I had to force myself to move, force myself to fight against the invisible band attempting to stop me from saving her.

(_The mother of my child_)

The curse was restricting me from moving. I was not meant to save anyone. There were no exceptions.

_She was no exception…_

Her smile widened as she moved closer to me, but quickly faded when her observant eyes began to cloud with confusion at the strain that had appeared on my face.

(The woman I was falling in _love _with…)

"Sasuke-ku-"

"Watch out!!"

Thump.

x-x-x

_When you find that special someone,_

"_The one", your other half,_

_The boundaries that were there before _

_Suddenly disappear_

_Along with your ability to reason with the logical and the illogical._

_And when that happens_

_You would rather throw yourself in front of a moving train_

_Than spend the rest of your life without them._

x-x-x

**Phew. That **_**didn't **_**take like 38493834890389 more days than I had thought. I really am sorry guys. But I've been having trouble seeing the ending to this. I wanted to make it original, something not done before or as much as other stories (or like my other fics).**

**And then, out of nowhere, I got an idea :D! So I'm going to pursue it. **

**But of course, you'll have to wait to figure out what it is. (:**

_Because she was no exception…_

_**xxasukachanxx**_


	2. Let Me Carry Your Burden

**You're No Exception**

**Sorry this took so long to update. I actually had this typed like four hours ago, but I needed to do some editing. I decided that this is going to be maybe a 5 chapter story at the most. ^^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Itachi… ah….what **do **I own???**

**Note: Near the end are lyrics from the song Pain by Three Days Grace. The second quote is the first verse of the song, and the first quote is one I created. **

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_Sakura's POV_

x-x-x

_It's funny_

_How love works._

_The one you never tried to see,_

_(turned out to be the only one you saw)_

_The one you never dreamed could making you happy,_

_(turned out to be the _only _one that did)_

_But most of all, the one you excluded from your life, your own little world,_

_(Became the _entire _thing.)_

_(Every. Tiny. Bit.)_

x-x-x

Sniff.

How did things end up this way?

How could one wrong step, one time where your timing was off…the one time you were at the wrong place at the wrong time…

Could do _this_?

"_**GET OUT OF THE WAY!"**_

It all happened to fast…

"_**Someone call an ambulance!!!"**_

Sniff.

"_**Ma'am, you have to let go of him-"**_

"_Sasuke_…"

"_**Please! Take me with you!!! I **_**can't**_** leave him- not like this…"**_

"Why oh why did you do it?"

x-x-x

_Sasuke's POV_

x-x-x

_You're sick of feeling numb_

_You're not the only one_

_I'll take you by the hand_

_And I'll show you a world that you can understand_

x-x-x

I'm drowning.

Into a deep, suffocating pool of nothingness.

The air is thick.

_(Why does it hard to breathe…?)_

My conscious has separated from my body.

(_I can't feel a thing)_

…Am I dead?

_(…Was I ever alive…?)_

x-x-x

_This life is filled with hurt_

_When happiness doesn't work_

_Trust me and take my hand_

_When the lights go out you'll understand_

x-x-x

x-x-x

_Sakura's POV_

It's been two weeks now.

Two, long weeks…

"_Sakura, why don't you get some sleep? You look terrible…"_

From what Ino had told me, the only thing I seemed to do anymore was stare lifelessly at the motionless, stone-faced, bandaged man lying before me. How long had it been- the time I had spent with him? Days? Weeks? Months?

Time, people, money…for the first time in my life, they didn't matter when I was with him.

I felt droplets of salty liquid fall from my eyes and onto my lap when I thought of this. I had been so _happy _back then. But now, now that he no longer looks at me with his dazzling onyx eyes (which at times Naruto had told me they were blood red.) or….or…

"Sakura-chan?"

I spun around to face the voice calling to me. It was none other than Naruto. The only one I saw that still visited him nowadays-even though it was mainly to check up on me. Since Sasuke-kun remained unmoving, not even his brother, the last of his family, came to see him anymore.

I gave him a broken smile as I turned to meet his sad blue eyes. "Morning Naruto."

His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he stared at me with pure anguish. "Me and HInata-chan are going to get some coffee…want to come?" he asked me. But deep down, he knew the answer to that.

_It would always be no…_

I smiled sadly at him. "Sorry Naruto, maybe next time-"

And for the first time since we had been friends, I saw Naruto angry.

Angry at **me**.

He scowled and pulled me up by my wrists. "Sakura-chan look at yourself!! Do you actually _sleep _anymore?" Naruto snarled at me. My tired emerald eyes looked at him fearfully, but I spoke not a word. Because he was right…

"And when was the last time you **ate**? Hinata-chan told me that you don't touch anything she gives you!" he paused to shake me violently. "Why're you doing this do yourself?!"

"Because it's **my **fault Sasuke-kun's like this!!" I screamed at him. Naruto stiffened as tears spilled from my eyes. I had finally told him about my sadistic self-inflicted punishment. Maybe _I _was the one that needed help, not Sasuke-kun…

"Sakura-chan…how were you supposed to know about the girder?"

"But if I had been more _careful_! If I hadn't told him to meet me so close to the construction site he…he wouldn't have…"

Naruto gripped my chin tightly as he glared down at me. "Are you saying that it would've been better that it hit _you _instead?" he asked me through gritted teeth, but he softened when uncontrollable tears fell from my eyes and I nodded. "It was an _accident _Sakura-chan…it wasn't-"

I pushed him away. _Someone _deserved to be blamed for what had happened to him.

_The way I heard his ribs shattering with the impact of the girder..._

"You don't **understand**, Naruto!!!"

_The way blood spilled from his mouth and where the large metal object had stricken him…_

"His _**blood **_was all over me! Over _everything_!!!"

_The way his eyes lost gleam and grew dilated as pain erupted through his body…or how I could visibly see his internal organs and bones breaking in his expression…_

"After **everything **he's been through since he was **seven**..."

And how I re-lived that expression _whenever I managed to close my eyes…_

: He didn't _deserve _this, Naruto!!"

As I crumpled in his arms and sobbed brokenly. I felt Naruto's arms wrap around me. He was trying so _hard _to keep me together; to keep me from falling and breaking at the seams. I could tell by the way his arms wrapped around my body in a choking embrace.

"Sakura-chan…if he hadn't pushed you out of the way in time, he would've been a lot worse than this." I heard Naruto hiss at me. Through my choked sobs, I heard him go on. "If it'd been _you_ on that hospital bed right now, I wouldn't have been able to leave him alone. Even for a second!"

My tear-filled emerald eyes looked up at him in confusion. "W-What?"

The blonde managed to grin at me. "C'mon, has your brain turned to mush? The bastard would've gone suicidal, Sakura-chan!" he explained. I wiped my eyes with a shaky hand as he sat me down.

"Y'see, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme's always cared about you. He tried to stay away from you because…" he paused to frown. "He thinks…he's a monster. And I know teme will blame himself when he wakes up because you almost got hurt."

I watched him look away, as if to avoid what he was really thinking. It didn't work, because the sad, gleam reflecting off his eyes was all I needed to see.

'_If _he wakes up…' his blue eyes whispered to me. But my eyes widened when I realized that Naruto was entirely right about Sasuke-kun thinking that he was a monster. The words he had constantly spoken to me whenever I saw him, but had casted off dismissively, finally made sense.

"_I'm dangerous, Sakura. You shouldn't associate with me."_

"_Sakura, if you were smart, you'd stay away from me."_

"…_this is __**wrong **__Sakura. You aren't meant to __**be **__with me." _

"_You don't understand! I'll be the death of you…you don't know what you're risking when you're with me!"_

"He…he thinks he's a monster? But…why…?" I whispered to Naruto quietly. My blonde best friend nodded. "He thinks something bad will happen to you. Like his mom."

"B-But that was just a freak accident!! It wasn't his fault! It was _never _his-"

"Sound familiar, Sakura-chan?" the sun-kissed blonde murmured to me. "Naruto…" I sighed as my emerald eyes fell to the floor. I was just too stubborn to argue with. This was a completely different situation than one of Sasuke-kun's past. He had gotten hurt trying to save _me_.

None of this would've happened if it were for me.

What a horrid, wretch I was…

But I decided that I would play along, for Naruto's sake. I wouldn't be able to bear breaking my best friend anymore. So I would do this, if only to make him happy.

I managed to put on the best smile I could manage with my puffy, swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks as I looked up to meet his gaze. "You're absolutely right." I told him quietly as I wrapped my arms around his neck to embrace him lovingly.

_(my brother, my friend…my comforter.)_

"Does this mean you wanna come with me and Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, his expression filled with hope. I hesitated, but shook my head. "No, I couldn't go out like this. I look like a swollen tomato!" I told him as I began to pull away from him. "But…if you could bring me back something? I promise I'll eat everything you give me." I offered.

With a genuine grin, Naruto gave me a thumbs-up. "Sure thing, Sakura-chan! I'll tell Hinata-chan right now!" he replied before he gave me one last bear hug and hurried out of the room, screaming to his girlfriend down the hall that I was '_actually_' going to eat something.

I shook my head and chuckled softly. Something I hadn't done in days. I don't know what I would've done without idiot, happy-go-lucky Uzumaki Naruto in my life. But the tiny smile that had managed to form at the corner of my dry lips disappeared when I returned to look down at Sasuke.

Without leaving his side, I pulled over the stool with my foot and sat down. And even if he would never hear it, even if he never woke up, I told him _everything_. My thoughts, my feelings, how I felt with him and without him…

That's when the tears began to fall again.

"Y'know, Naruto finally explained to me why you always told me to stay away from you. And even if I almost got crushed with a steel girder, don't **ever **think for one second that _you _were the one that caused that…if anything, blame the asshole _steering _the girder!" I told him wildly.

But as I calmed down, I stroked his cheek and I found that the battered, lightly bruised skin soothing, even though it should've frightened me.

_**I know (I know I know I know I know)…**_

"You were never a monster to me, Sasuke-kun." I told him quietly. "You were always an angel. An angel with broken wings."

_**That you're wounded…**_

" Everything you tried to hide, all the emotions you kept from everyone- even Naruto- I saw so _clearly_, Sasuke-kun."

_**You know (You know you know you know you know)…**_

"And if you ever wake up…if I ever get to hold you or kiss you or talk with you again…I won't ever let you suffer alone ever again."

_**That I'm here to save you**_…

You won't ever be in pain, and I'll make everyday happy for you!" I told him, as if somehow, somewhere, if I confessed this to him, he would wake up.

_**You know (You know you know you know you know)…**_

"…If you let me, I'll carry the burden with you. Even carry it for you!"

_**I'm always here for you…**_

I suddenly couldn't stop myself from crying as I shut my eyes tightly and gently wrapped my arms around his neck.

_**I know (I know I know I know I know)…**_

"Let me carry the burden for you, Sasuke-kun…just let me carry your burden…"

_**That you'll thank me later…**_

x-x-x

_Sasuke's POV_

What an empty place I've landed in.

Just…what had I done, where had I been before this? To land me here?

I cannot remember my past. Or even the faintest hint of a voice that had made it up.

If somehow, I had been alive…if there were any sign that I was on the verge of death, I wanted it.

To _feel_.

Something, _anything_. Even if it was an eternity of pain or anguish.

(_Any _emotion was better than this.)

In this place, I nor felt or saw anything.

Perhaps _this _was hell?

Then, I saw something. **Felt **something. It was warm, and comforting, making me realize that I was dangerously cold. _Ice _cold.

It was light, and gentle.

I suddenly found myself wanting more of this feeling. This light, warm, comforting feeling…

And deep down, in the pit of my very being, I felt warmth beginning to slowly but surely spread throughout my body, which was beginning to re-appear.

I began to merge with this cold, lifeless body. My conscious was returning to me, along with my memories.

They were hazy, but there.

I could not die, I realized. Even if this icy feeling and the aching of this unmoving body wanted me to succumb to it…no, I could not.

There was something I still had to do.

Someone I still needed to see.

_You were never a monster to me._

I heard a voice, a very familiar, warming voice that pulsated through the darkness.

_You were always an angel. An angel with broken wings._

A fallen… angel? With this voice, I began to re-call all the feelings of regret and anguish that had struck me to the very bone for years.

_Everything you tried to hide, I saw so _clearly. The voice told me; making me remember a mask that I had been wearing until…perhaps very recently.

_If you let me, I'll carry your burden…_

Burden…? The "curse"…

_Let me carry your burden…_

As the voice faded, a piercing screech emitted through the darkness, and an ominous painful feeling spread throughout the body that I had merged with.

Pain filled me. And every part of this body began to burn. As if someone had thrown it into the very pits of hell.

And then, unexpectedly, the darkness around me began to crack, like a broken mirror. And I saw a terrifying image of the body I had merged with. With long, lightning blue hair, sickly distorted, brown skin, two large, mutated like wings protruded out of my back, and menacing, blood red eyes.

I was no fallen angel, as the sweet voice had told me.

I was a demon.

When the darkness shattered, I began to fall into nothingness. As I deserved. As a demon deserved.

Then, voice returned to me. To save me.

_Let me carry your burden…_

_You won't ever be in pain ever again…_

_Please, just let me._

_Burden _

_Burden_

_Burden_

"_Sasuke-kun!!!"_

Sasuke…

I stopped falling and hit something hard below me. Then, light filled my eyes, blinding me at first. When I adjusted to it, I found myself staring at an image of a battered, bandaged raven-haired man lying motionlessly on a hospital bed. This man was being cradled by a shaking, beautiful pink haired girl.

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun…" she sobbed to him. The sight made my insides clench around me. She was so _broken_. As if everything that made her, lied in this raven-haired man…

I glanced upward to stare back at the demon I was, and somewhere, flickering in these crimson eyes, held the characteristics of that raven-haired man.

That's when I realized, that _I _was that man.

_I _was this woman's everything.

And the pieces suddenly began to fall into place.

"_I'm dangerous, Sakura."_

"_I don't care. I don't want to be away from you anymore."_

"_You don't understand! I'll be the death of you…you don't know what you're risking when you're with me!"_

"_Then so be it. I'd rather die in your arms than without you, Sasuke-kun."_

And as the pieces fell, I realized that the demon in the dark mirror that had casted me to the bottom of this place began to crack.

My demon was crumbling away. And the crimson color of the eyes my demon possessed dissipated from them; revealing a pure, onyx color.

My demon was gone. Finally gone.

I stood and walked- ran- towards this couple. Towards my real body.

The body of Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sakura," I murmured as I neared the light.

"I'm coming back to you."

-

-

-

As cool air filled my lungs, and the pressure of the woman's arms clenched around my neck returned to me, the pain of my broken ribs returned to me.

As I moved my numb, fingers I heard her gasp. Slowly, she unlatched her arms from around my neck to stare down at my still closed eyes. "S-Sasuke-kun?" she asked again, only breathlessly.

I could hear her heartbeat thump out of her chest as I slowly opened my onyx eyes to stare into her beautiful emerald ones.

Oh how I had missed those emotion-filled eyes.

I examined her more closely as her orbs filled with fat tears and strolled down her cheeks at an alarming rate. The puffiness and dark circles that surrounded her eyes made her appear as if she hadn't slept in weeks. Her once creamy skin was now colorless, and her cheeks that always colored themselves when I appeared to her were now beginning to sink inward. As if she hadn't eaten properly in ages.

As her name left my lips, Sakura let out a strangled sob and threw herself at me again. "Yes, yes Sasuke-kun it's me-Kami-sama it's me!!" she whispered to me. I grunted at the pain the emotion of her embrace was giving me, but I ignored it and slowly raised my heavy arm to touch her back.

"You're back….you've come back to me…" I managed to catch as she spoke incoherent, hysterical words to me. When Sakura lifted herself off me, a smile brightened her pale, thinned face as her viridian eyes shone with happiness I could not understand.

"I'm so happy, Sasuke-kun. I'm so glad you've come back to me…that you've woken up…" she whispered. As I parted my lips to speak, they shut grimly when I began to notice her eyes beginning to cloud over.

My onyx eyes widened in horror when I noticed the color of this cloud.

They were crimson.

_Let me carry your burden, Sasuke-kun._

"_**So she has wished it…" **_the voice of the demon seethed as the crimson cloud swirled around her viridian eyes.

"**No**," I whispered as I could do nothing but watch it to take over the pure color of her eyes.

"_**So it shall be."**_

"No…" I whispered as I stared at her. Her smile faded when she noticed my expression had suddenly changed from serene to pure horror within seconds. "Sasuke-kun?" she asked me as she touched my cheek quizzically.

_If you let me, you'll never feel pain again. And I'll make everyday happy for you!_

_Let me carry your burden, Sasuke-kun…_

When I could no longer seethe emerald her eyes once were, her quizzical expression slowly turned frightened. "S-Sasuke-kun…why…" She blinked with her newly cursed eyes.

"…_why are there numbers…above your head?"_

What have I done?

**TBC…**

**I'm such a slow updater. Please forgive me.**

_Because (in the end), she was more than an exception…_

_**xxasukachanxx**_

.


	3. It's Not Your Burden to Bear

**You're No Exception**

**Hey guys! Brr it's cold!! **

**So I decided that I needed to update this series at least once over break XD. It's just that I've had no real inspiration for my stories lately…that and I'm in a really really bad mood. So maybe writing will cheer me up…**

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"_Sasuke-kun…why are their numbers above your head…?"_

I was truly a wretched man.

"Your eyes…they've gotten darker…" She whispered as she stared deeply into my eyes.

I deserved **nothing** but death, for having put her in this position.

I watched her crimson eyes grow wider as my dark pools reflected an image of her, and the color of her eyes.

The curse, **my **curse, had stolen her salvation…her _humanity_. An _**angel's **_humanity.

"My eyes…they're…"

Because of me.

"Red…"

I should've never let this happen. I should've denied my selfish wants and desires, as I had done for 20 years.

And now, now…

"S-Sasuke-kun?" she asked me quietly. I could hear it, see it, even smell the fear she was trying desperately to hide.

It was impossible for her to understand the reason why she was seeing behind eyes of a monster. The demon that had haunted me for the 20 years of my life.

And in an instant…

Nor could I.

Was _this _the loophole behind the curse? The path for my demon to escape and forever torture those who were unlucky enough to draw themselves close to me?

_**So she has wished it, so it shall be.**_

But she didn't **deserve **this! To carry my burden… this was not the burden she was hoping to carry. Or be forcibly given.

No, Sakura had just been bestowed the worst possible thing of all. My inhumanity. My curse. In exchange for her soul.

Ignoring the searing pain that escalated through my body with the slightest movement, I wrapped my arms around her tightly, whispering a torn apology.

Though she returned my embrace, the questioning hesitance in her grip made the scowl on my lips turn more bitter.

"Sasuke-kun? I don't understand what you're sorry for…-"but her head whipped around at the sight of the door opening.

I glared at the man who entered; at the reflection of the fear and confusion in Sakura's eyes. Her now crimson eyes…

"I-Itachi-san…" Sakura murmured as the man's onyx eyes poured emotionlessly into hers. Without the slightest sign of emotion, my brother spoke.

"I see your relationship has gone beyond what I had assumed." He replied, with his eyes still fixated on Sakura's. "W-What are you saying, Itachi-san?" Sakura asked him as my grip noticeably tightened around her waist.

Finally, Itachi's gaze left the pink haired woman's and stared into mine after what felt similar to centuries. A hidden sneer appeared at his lips. One I could not understand.

"It appears that the _Shinigami no me _live on."

My eyes widened in horror at this. The crimson eyes….

The _life lines_…

My **pain** and desperation to keep Sakura safe**…**

He _knew_?

"_Shinigami no me_? Shinigami eyes…? Sasuke-kun, what are…?" Sakura's voice trailed off when she realized the horror in my expression was now a strand of raw hatred.

"You **knew**?!!" I snarled at him as I released Sakura in fear of crushing her waist. But her arm stayed firmed around my shoulders when I made an attempt to attach my brother.

Itachi's sneer widened. "Had you believed that you were the sole bearer?" he asked me, "That you were cursed by God?"

I gritted my teeth in anger. "What _are _they."

"Foolish, foolish otouto. The _Shinigami no me _was a curse given to the founder of our clan Uchiha Madara. It's been distributed to every generation as a _kekkei genkai _ever since" He explained as he walked towards us.

"The Uchiha clan members are the only known bearers of the curse. But," he paused to stare into Sakura's eyes once more. "I, nor had our parents, expected that the curse would be passed down _twice_ in one generation."

"Twice?" I seethed as I glared murderously at him. My murderous intent was not returned as his expression turned emotionless and turned to look at me. "Aah. Being the eldest son, I was the given the _kekkei genkai_."

"And then you passed it to me." I growled.

However, I was caught off guard when he shook his head. "It was bestowed upon another."

I sneered at him coldly. "Of course you would pass it onto someone else. Was it another one of your sick jokes? Huh?!" I demanded. But once again, he shook his head. "This was unintentional. As was yours." Itachi replied as his eyes fixated on Sakura's again, but his stare was unfocused.

Sakura grabbed my hand to stop my growling as Itachi continued. "She was…a precious person. Someone who incessantly cared for my well-being, though I pushed her away. I was unaware of what she was to me, until I could no longer see the lifeline above her head." He whispered absently. "I saw the transfer, and she was horrified."

"What happened to her…?" Sakura asked as her gaze switched from mine to his. Itachi's eyes flashed a gleam of emotion before disappearing into the dark pools of his onyx eyes. "She ran. Moments later a car took her life."

The pink haired woman gasped and tightened her grip on my hand. "That's terrible…" she whispered to him. "It was presumed that the curse had died with her, since she was not one of the Uchiha clan." He paused to stare at me. "I was mistaken."

"If the curse died why was it given to me?! Now…" my voice trailed off as I stared at Sakura. Rage was flowing through me. The years of torture…the years of _solitude _were spent because of my families assumptions!

Itachi responded with his same indifference.

"The one who had inherited the curse was murdered, taking the life of the future heir with her. I assume the curse was given to the next possible hei; the second son." Itachi met Sakura's eyes again.

"It is possible to transfer the curse to the closest person of the holder. In both our cases, it has been the woman carrying an Uchiha child inside her." Itachi explained.

Sakura gasped and released my hand to cover her lips. "I…are you saying…I-I'm…"

Her words were lost as Itachi further elaborated. "It's possible now, to life the curse from the Uchiha bloodline forever."

"How?" I demanded. I would do anything to deliver Sakura from the monster I had made her. Itachi's eyes stayed fixed on the pink haired woman as he spoke.

"There are no more Uchiha men from our generation; the single holder is this woman. If you kill her, the curse will be lifted."

Rage and horror filled my soul as I lunged for Itachi's throat a second time. Muffled screams of protest were heard at a distance I struggled in Sakura's arms.

How…how could it be possible to speak such words?!

_Kill __**Sakura**_?

Live _without _her?

(The light that had brought me out of darkness…?)

"If you fail to make the right decision, prepare to watch this woman and the next generation of our clan suffer, foolish otouto." He replied before turning on his heels and walking away as silently as he had come.

Anger and rage clouded my judgment as I ignored Sakura's desperate, heartfelt cries for me to calm myself. What had I done to deserve this? To be damned and take every precious person with me?

"Sasuke-kun…_please_! Onegai…" Sakura sobbed to me as I found her arms snaking around my neck. My breath hitched as she pleaded to me. "Please calm down…"

After stiffening and everlasting seconds, my arms slowly found its way around her back. "I'm…sorry." I rasped as guilt and pain clenched around my throat. I felt her shake her head. "No! Don't apologize!" she commanded as she held my shoulders in place to stare at my torn expression.

"I…had no idea…how much you suffered…what you and your brother _saw _all this time…" Sakura told me. Anguish clouded her new-found crimson eyes as her hand found my bruised cheek. She smiled meekly. "I'm glad…that you're not suffering anymore, Sasuke-kun. That I could carry your burden-it's what I've wanted since the day I met you!" she exclaimed.

I scowled at her. "It's not your burden to bear, Sakura."

Sakura shook her pink locks. "I couldn't understand it before. Why you hated me so much…why you kept me at such a distance when all I wanted was to make you happy." she paused to caress my bruised cheek.

"But now I know that you were trying to protect me from…from _this_. Naruto told me that you've always seen yourself as a monster. A monster that would hurt me. But in the end, _nothing _would've kept me from you, Sasuke-kun."

I clenched my fists. I could not bring myself to meet her eyes. The eyes of the demon I was responsible for.

"Abort the child, Sakura." I told her firmly. If the child was destroyed, she would no Uchiha blood inside her.

She would live.

"What?" she whispered as tears and wild disbelief suddenly filled her crimson orbs. "N-No! I won't! Why would you say that?!"

"You'll **die**, Sakura. The curse-"

"I'd rather die than kill our **child,** Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed. "I love you with every fiber of my being! The only thing I've ever wanted was to spend forever with you. And now…now I can give you what Kami-sama designed me to do!"

Sakura paused to exhale shakily as she gently placed my hand over her slim stomach. "I want this child. Our child." Sakura leaned closer to me and rested her forehead on mine as she shut her eyes. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have given myself to you…"

As her lips found mine more guilt consumed my soul. I had shot down an angel. An angel that tried to deliver me, a demon, from hell;.

And I had just planted a demon child inside this angel; stealing her way into heaven as a result. But she was aware of the consequences. Aware that I was sending her to hell, but she wanted to bring this child- my child into this world.

Because she loved me…

I wouldn't allow it. I could withstand spending the rest of my life in pain and at conflict with my demon if to save Sakura from being damned to hell. I would not be the cause of her damnation.

"It was a mistake; I was careless-." I told her as I pushed her away from me.

"It _wasn't _a mistake, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura protested desperately as I clenched my fists tighter. "Every moment we spent together was **real** and you know it! Why is it wrong for me to want you?! For you to want me too?"

"The shinigami eyes have damned you. _I _damned youl!" I yelled at her."Only a monster would-"

"You're not a monster to me, Sasuke-kun! Would a monster save me from being hit with a steel girder?" She countered the tears spilled from her eyes.

"_Sakura_…"I growled as I stared at her. But the determination in her crimson eyes showed that I had evidently lost. Sakura would not leave me. Her mind was set.

"It doesn't matter." she murmured.

"This is **wrong**, Sakura… Is life not enough for you?"

"_You _are my life now, Sasuke-kun." Sakura told me as she held my face in my hands again. "I'd rather life with this- this curse than be without you again."

I looked away from her warm expression. Something I didn't deserve to see, but could not completely turn away from.

_(The light in my dark world)_

"Sakura…" her name left my lips as she leaned closer to me to fill the gap between us.

That is, until two more visitors barged into the hospital room.

One loud, the other calm and collected.

I had not remembered them in a long time.

Nor had I expected to see for quite sometime.

"Sakura-chan!!" the loud blonde man exclaimed, his arms filled with and sweets. "S-Sakura," the soft dark haired woman said. In her hands she held a cup of ramen and tea.

And as my dark eyes met his blue ones, shock gradually filled them as the sweets fell from his hands.

"S…Sasuke…you're-"

But a gasp escaped the Hyuuga heiress's lips suddenly. She had noticed Sakura's change much sooner than I had anticipated.

"S-Sakura…"

I realized that by damning her, Sakura would have more to lose than I had ever expected; her precious people.

"Your eyes are…"

She would lose it all, as I had…

"T-They're…"

However, unlike my decisions to sever these ties…

"_Red"_

She wouldn't have a choice.

And it's all my fault…

**TBC..**

**I'm really sorry guys, but this is all I'm going to leave you with until next time. But I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!**

_Because she was no exception…_

_**xxasukachanxx**_


	4. Set Up From The Beginning

**You're No Exception**

**Hey guys! School is back in session here, so I've been extremely busy with trying to keep up with all my schoolwork. Being off for 2 weeks made me pretty lazy…**

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"_S-Sakura…your eyes are red…"_

A thick silence filled the air with the Hyuuga heiress's words. A silence so thick, the walls of my throat tightened around me.

How could I explain this to her? Would it be possible to explain that the Uchiha curse, a _kekkei genkai_, had just damned one of her closest friends because of her love for me- a monster- and the child now growing inside of her?

(_**My **__child_?)

Perhaps, because the curse had been lifted from me, I could elaborate the sudden change in Sakura's eye color?

But when attempting to open my mouth to speak, to explain, my vocal cords had betrayed me. Though the curse no longer clouded my vision, the curse recognized me (and my restrictions of sharing Sakura's ill will with the world) because I was an Uchiha- the original carrier of the _kekkei genkai_.

I turned to Sakura's horror filled expression as if to find the solution. But the action was in vain.

There _was _no simple elaboration for Sakura's now crimson eyes; something that could be whisked off or ignored altogether. Her recent eye color change was noticeable; magnified by her pink hair.

Hinata turned her attention back to my face slowly and examined them. "S-Sasuke-kun, your eyes look different too." She said quietly as her violet eyes poured into mine piercing them with her quick wit and analytical skills.

Damn. Did my contacts still exist, or had they burned into my irises permanently as the crimson color had done to Sakura's emerald eyes? Was the change _truly _that noticeable?

No, it couldn't have been. Though Naruto was naïve and dense, Sakura was someone close to him, since childhood. Crimson eyes would not go unnoticed by his cerulean ones. It was simply the Hyuuga girl's quick analytical skills.

I suddenly wished, however, that Naruto had never met her. If she were not present for the remainder of his visit, I would've been given the time needed to create an excuse for her. To perhaps save the ties Sakura had with this world.

To save her from the isolation this life with me would later bring her.

But once again, Kami had the odds against me. And to worsen the situation, I had brought on Kami's wrath on Sakura as well. Yet, when I turned to re-meet her eyes, the pink haired angel sitting beside me gave me a confident, reassuring smile.

She was willingly to tell them everything- if it were possible. She was willing to accept being feared and spit upon because of the curse she had inherited…for **me**.

"You see, I-"she began, until Naruto interrupted with a puzzled expression. And expression that sparked curiosity within me.

_Confusion_, not **fear**.

"_Aka me_?" Naruto asked as he scratched his head. I studied his expression a little closer as he continued to speak. "Sakura-chan's eyes are green, not red, Hinata-chan!" he explained as he turned to grin at his dark haired love interest.

My new obsidian eyes widened in astonishment as I returned my attention back to Sakura. To me, her emerald eyes had been stained with the crimson of my curse, as did Hinata who had noticed it almost immediately.

But to Naruto…her eyes were the same, unchanging emerald color she had been born with. Something incomprehensible.

However, something had suddenly occurred to me:

Because I could clearly see my copper eyes grower into a darker crimson, I had assumed the rest of the world did as well. Which compelled me to wear obsidian contacts. But… perhaps…only select people could see the curse?

I studied the Hyuuga more closely. Heiress of the violet/pearl eyed clan. A clan much older than the Uchiha, as they had descended and branched off from the rival/neighboring family.

A clan that had- without a doubt- a kekkei genkai as well.

I closed my obsidian eyes as if to soak in the information I had just discovered. The Hyuugas' eyes, that were similar to the Uchihas', were able to see the kekkei genkai; the _Shinigami no me_. However, ordinary people such as Naruto could not.

"G-Gomen na sai, Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan. I must be seeing things…" Hinata replied as she forced a smile. Naruto shrugged it off as he hurried beside me to ramble on about the minor events that had happened while I had gone comatose. But the Hyuuga remained planted in her spot as she looked at me with questioning eyes.

I had underestimated the very heiress herself. Because the emotion withheld in her violet eyes spoke for her, I was automatically informed that Hinata was worried immensely and would demand immediate clarification soon. I was also informed that she was aware of and had her suspicions about my role in Sakura's sudden change.

Perhaps…she was also aware that the crimson were really _Shinigami no me_. But with her analytical skills, Hinata possessed tact. Within less than a second, the worry and fear were suppressed as she walked towards Sakura and handed her the cup of ramen.

But instead of setting the cup of tea on the bed side table, the dark haired woman handed me the cup with a light smile. I stared at her in disbelief. She was aware that I had done something irreversible to one of her closest companions, but remained kind and polite to me.

"You have to be a tiny bit thirsty, Sasuke-k-kun." She told me softly. Though the words were not forced out, as I removed the warm cup from her hands, I sensed her curiosity.

I would have to tell her. And soon.

But the question was…_how_?

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Three days after awakening from my comatose state, I was released from the hospital; Sakura never farther than arm's length apart. She had remained faithfully beside me- I had discovered- since the day I had been injured saving her.

I frowned upon this. Without her persistence to save me, she would not be in this predicament. If she had let me die…she would've been able to live a full and happy life. Naruto would take care of her; she would never be lonely.

But as I explained this to her, Sakura grew angry.

"You **stubborn Uchiha**!" she yelled as threw the utensils she had been washing into the sink with a loud clank. Enraged crimson eyes stared at me menacingly; nearly piercing my soul. "How many times will I have to tell you '**I don't want anything else**' before you finally give in?!" she demanded.

I scowled at her. "Not possible." I replied.

She growled in response. "You and your stupid pride!" Sakura screamed at me as she moved to the table to clear the rest of the dishes. I had noticed immediately, that she cleaned when she was angry.

"Why can't you just accept my decision to be with you and to keep our child? Why can't you ju-"

"Because I want you to **live**." I snarled as I grabbed her arm tightly. The pink haired woman beside me winced from the strength of my grip and the tone of my voice. "Every moment you spend with me is one step closer to hell. **Hell**, Sakura."

Hurt filled her crimson eyes as she took a step closer to me. "And I've told you before…" she explained in a softer tone. "…That every second I spend without you _is _hell, Sasuke-kun. I've chosen you."

I growled as I released her and turned away from her softened expression. But Sakura was persistent, something that would be annoy me for the rest of my days. "The numbers you see above my head is my lifeline. For the rest of your life you will see nothing but death. _That _isthe power of the Shinigami eyes."

Sakura wrapped her tiny arms around my torso as she rested her cheek against my back. "Arigato. For caring about me, Sasuke-kun. But I know what I want. And what I want is to be with you forever. No matter what the cost."

Though I would not give up my attempts to push her away to save her, I decided to be compliant to her wishes. For now.

I cupped her chin with my hand as I turned around to meet her tired, love-filled crimson eyes. "You need sleep, Sakura." I told her in a low tone as she unconsciously moved closer to me. The woman's tiny hands curled around my wrist as she smiled and shook her pink locks. "_Iie_. No."

"_Usotsuki_." I grunted as I frowned at her. Sakura had not slept right in days because of me. It was surprise she was still able to stand and think clearly. "Bed. Now." And without waiting for her to respond I lifted her into my arms and carried her off to my bed.

Despite her protests, when I reached the doorway of my bedroom, her struggles ceased. Struggling had sapped the remainder of her strength. As I set her onto the bed, the sleeping Sakura's arms slowly wrapped around my neck.

Being careful not to wake her, I unlinked her arms from around my neck and tucked her in. "Sasuke-kun…" she mewed, making my eyes soften unconsciously. I snorted under my breath as I removed a lock of pink hair from her tired face. _'Am I even with you in your dreams, Sakura? …Annoying_.' I thought before kissing her forehead softly.

But as if on cue, my phone vibrated softly in my pocket. Without checking the caller ID, I soundlessly left the room and shut the door behind me. When I was far enough from the door, I removed the phone from my pocket and flipped it open.

"It's late." I hissed in a low tone as the woman spoke to me. "G-Gomen na sai, Sasuke-kun. Is Sakura asleep?" the timid woman on the other line asked politely.

"Aah."

"Then I must ask you to meet me in the training grounds in 5 minutes. You have to clarify what's happened to her." She pressed.

"I'm not obligated to tell you anything, Hyuuga." I told her coldly. I could almost hear her hiss in frustration. "Sasuke-kun with all due respect, I have every right to know what you've done to my best friend. Otherwise I'll find out myself."

I frowned at her sudden burst of confidence. The timid, stalker-like heiress Sakura had befriended years ago no longer stammered as much, and spoke with more buoyancy. It was almost annoying.

"Fine. 5 minutes." I snapped icily before shutting the phone. After slipping my shoes and coat on I headed soundlessly out the door.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I had arrived at the training grounds no more than a minute after stepping out of my door, as did the Hyuuga who had arrived 10 seconds after me; signaling that she was serious and would be dropping formalities.

Because, as expected of Naruto's significant other, she would do "anything for those she cared about".

"Sasuke-kun." She said as she approached me slowly, cautiously. Emotionlessly I replied with a simple hn. "Thank you for coming to speak with me. I'm glad you understand the severity of the situation and that you're taking me seriously."

Again, I hned.

Violet eyes gazed at me before continuing to speak. "The _kekkei genkai_ your family inherited has taken over Sakura, no?" she asked me. My obsidian eyes widened in surprise. I had underestimated the Hyuuga again. She had been aware of the _kekkei genkai_ all along.

However, as before, my throat clenched around me, restricting me from elaborating. Hinata gasped quietly as if remembering something crucial. I eyed her suspiciously as she raised her hand to her lips. "Oh! Gomen na sai, Sasuke-kun. It's been years since I've had to talk with someone about this," she explained. "Please repeat after me."

My eyes widened slightly as she bit her thumb to draw blood; a daring action done by the timid woman. With her right hand she wrote the character "_yurusu_" or "permit" on her palm and held it out. Despite my suspicions, I complied and shook her hand.

Suddenly, a serious of blood-kanji began to spiral up our wrists and arms, covering our bodies and darkening. When Hinata withdrew her hand, I stared at my skin in alarm. "What…is this?" I demanded. However, the dark haired Hyuuga remained composed.

"This is a blood-pact. Our ancestors used this to share secrets about one another's _kekkei genkai_ to form alliances." Hinata explained. "Now you can explain yours to me without the restrictions."

I took a deep breath as images of the now crimson eyed Sakura flashed through my mind. "They're called _Shinigami no me_." I replied. The woman gasped in surprise. "S-Shingami eyes?-"

"Aah. Passed down to every first born son."

"But- isn't Itachi-san the first born?"

"Complications." I replied as I clenched my fists. The images of my brother sneering at Sakura's predicament burned holes in my skull. Hinata nodded, as if understanding my less-elaborate reply. "Because of complications, it was given to you. So…how did Sakura get it? How did the curse take over if she has no Uchiha blood in her veins?"

I remained silent. As expected from the Hyuuga, she understood immediately. "Y-You mean S-S-Sakura i-i-is-?!"

"Aah." I replied. "It was unexpected."

Hinata clenched her fists as she looked away from me. "I-I see…" she answered. My eyebrows furrowed as I examined her closely. I was unsure if the timid Hyuuga girl was more enraged by impregnating her best friend out of wedlock (or even at all for that matter…) or the fact that I had condemned her with a curse no man should've wielded.

"Is there any way to…lift the curse?" Hinata asked after a long period of silence. I shook my head. "None Sakura is willing to comply with."

Understanding immediately, dark eyebrows furrowed with frustration and worry as she held her chin thoughtfully. "So…she's stuck with the curse until the new heir is born? There's no other way than the original ultimatum?" Hinata asked quietly.

"No." I answered. There _were _no alternatives to a curse. This was no blessing; something willingly given or taken away. A curse was a curse; something that would plague my family for the rest of my days.

"I see…I'm sorry this happened to you both, Sasuke-kun." Hinata told me politely. "Don't apologize to me." I replied. She had done nothing wrong, after all.

However, she smiled at me. "But knowing Sakura, no matter what happened to her she'd do it if it meant being with you. Even inheriting a terrible curse like the Shingami eyes."

My coal-dark eyes widened at her words.

_**I would rather die, than be without you Sasuke-kun. **_

I closed my eyes slowly for a moment before reopening them again. "Aah."

After removing the seals with a series of hand signs, she smiled at me again. "I'll contact you again if I find anything out. Please take care of her Sasuke-kun. Because to her, there's only you."

With another one worded reply, we went our separate ways; dissipating into the night.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A month and a half had passed without my knowledge before I had realized time would have to become valuable to me again.

Sakura was beginning to show signs of her pregnancy; morning sickness had become a routine for her. And she could no longer stomach anything sweet. It had also become routine for me to nurture her; an obligation I was willing to comply to.

I was, after all, the cause of her pain and sickness.

"Sasuke-kun…" she croaked to me as I sat beside her. Her weakened, pale hand reached out to touch my face as I looked up to meet her eyes. "What's wrong?"

I almost snorted at this question. _She _was the one who was suffering, and yet she still asked if _I _was alright. The monster who the cause of her suffering.

Unconsciously I leaned into her touch. "I did this to you." I told her quietly as I scowled. Weakly, Sakura frowned back. "Stop blaming yourself. This is normal."

"If I had been careful you-"

"If _we_ had been careful." She corrected with a tiny smile. As if she did not regret the intimate moments we had shared.

As if she were _grateful._

"I'm alright. By the next couple of weeks, I should be back to normal. I'm not as helpless as you think I am, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn." I replied to my fallen angel. It was almost ironic. The demon caring for the angel. _Wanting _and doing good.

"Sleep." I commanded as I removed her hand from my cheek and lifted the covers over her shoulders. Crimson eyes stared at me with amusement, making me frown. "What?" I demanded when she spoke not a word.

With a giggle, Sakura smiled at me. "You'd make a good nurse, Sasuke-kun."

After clicking my tongue at her ridiculous comment, I tucked her in a little more roughly. "Sleep." I told her again before she closed her eyes. And within a few minutes Sakura began to mumble incoherent words; signaling that she was asleep.

Kissing her forehead gently, I left the room. Feeling more content; filled. With Sakura by my side.

-

-

-

Months passed as quickly as Sakura's first month of her pregnancy. However, time still did not appeal to me. The attention had undoubtedly centered upon the bubbly and pregnant pink haired woman.

"Sasuke-kun, do you think this shirt makes me look fat?" a very pregnant Sakura asked me one day as she emerged from the bathroom with dripping hair, her figure had lost itself in one of my T-shirts. I snorted at her comment as I appeared in front of her to squeeze the water from one of her pink locks.

"No." I replied as she pouted (_irresistibly_) at me. "_Usotsuki_." Sakura accused as she crossed her arms childishly at me. Effortlessly I pried her arms apart and pushed her into my chest. "I'm not lying." I answered. Within her crimson pools I found my coal eyes gleaming mischievously.

My hands trailed down her sides slowly as I captured her lips hungrily. But when they reached her hips, a giggle escaped her lips as she caught my wrists. "No Sasuke-kun. I just showered."

But I stayed persistent as I trailed down her collarbone, earning a few mews in response. "Take another one." I growled at her. "No Sasuke-kun. We might have twins if you don't stop." Sakura scolded me as her lips curled into a smile.

I smirked against her collarbone. "So be it." I replied as I began to reach for the hem of the shirt.

But as the shirt was skirted to her waist, my phone began to vibrate noisily on the bed-side table. I growled in annoyance at the disturbance, but the pink haired woman simply smiled as she took waddled towards the phone and flipped it open in one swift motion.

"Hello- oh Itachi-san!" Sakura exclaimed as her crimson eyes lit up. I growled at the name as she approached me again. Yet even then I could not make out the words spoken by my brother who had become suspiciously supportive of Sakura's decision to keep the child a few months ago.

"Of course I am. You forget I'm a certified doctor just because I'm eight months pregnant!" she laughed as she twirled one of her dripping locks with her index finger. "Oh- Sasuke-kun? Aah, he's here. Of course. I'll talk to you soon." The woman paused to gaze at me. "Sasuke-kun, Itachi-san wants to speak to you."

I scowled at the phone as another growl escaped my lips. I had no intentions of talking with my brother. He was the _last _person I wanted to talk with at the moment. Especially after interrupting my time with Sakura.

"Behave!" she scolded before I released the phone from her hand and held it up to my ear reluctantly. "What do you want." I snapped. "You're needed at the office." The man told me, voice void of all emotion.

"The reason?" I demanded as I gripped the phone tightly. Was there ever a peaceful moment in my life?

"Whatever plans you had had for today are of lesser importance than being here." Itachi replied cryptically. But as I was about to retort, Sakura wrapped her arms around my torso to calm me.

"Sasuke-kun, if you need to go it's alright. I'll be fine here by yourself." The woman told me reassuringly. However, I could not suppress the scowl that appeared on my face at the images appearing in my mind. The thought of leaving a very pregnant Sakura _alone_ was _not _comforting.

Yet, the woman seemed to find my horror amusing as she smiled. "The baby isn't due for another month, Sasuke-kun. Besides, if your brother and company needs you, you can't refuse. It's an obligation." She reminded me.

After hearing the words of the optimistic pink haired woman, Itachi spoke. "You have 15 minutes then. Top floor. Tardiness won't be tolerated, otouto." He mocked before the line went dead.

I snapped the phone shut as Sakura adjusted my tie. "Maybe if you're nice Itachi-san will let you come home early?" Sakura asked hopefully. I snorted in response. He was a cold, heartless, soulless bastard. The answer would _always _be no unless it benefitted him in some way.

"Sasuke-kun, you two are always so hostile towards each other. Be _nice _for a change and _behave_ and…" her voice trailed off as she leaned upward to snake her arms around my neck seductively. "…if you're good when you come home we can finish what we started later."

I snorted as my arms found the pink haired woman's waist to pull her aggressively towards me. "You'll stick to your word?" I asked her in a husky tone as she began to nibble on my collarbone. "Why _wouldn't _Ido such a thing?" she teased before leaving a kiss lingering with heavy implications of later activities before disappearing from the room, swaying her hips in a tantalizing motion.

I shook my head at her.

Only Sakura.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

When I reached the office (7 minutes later) I was greeting by Itachi's annoying redheaded secretary Karin who had replaced the quieter one, Konan, who had become obsessed with origami and had gone to elope with one of the workers; a crazy man who believed he were Kami himself. A man that would only be addressed as "Pein".

When I came into view Karin leaped up to greet me. "Good morning Sasuke-san! It's so nice to see you again- I wasn't expecting to see you back until next week!" she rambled.

"Itachi." I replied without stopping.

As she struggled to keep a walking pace with me, she followed me done a series of sharp turns and long hallways. "Oh I see! Well I _must _thank Itachi-san for bringing you back here so soon. If it was up to me I'd keep you locked up here all day!" she laughed. However I could sense truth behind her words.

"Hn." I responded in annoyance. The sooner I could get out of this hell hole, the sooner I could get home.

_(To Sakura.)_

Karin stalked me until she could no longer; which was to the executive elevator designed to reach the 86th floor; our office.

"Have a nice day Sasuke-san!" she called after me as the elevator shut. With gratitude I sighed. I would have to find a way to have her transferred a few floors down and soon…Karin was simply unbearable.

-

-

-

Upon reaching the 86th floor I realized that the large office was empty, dark, and silent. Itachi was not here. Just what game was Itachi was trying to play?

But as if on cue, my phone began to vibrate wildly. I snatched it from my pocket and snapped it open. "This better be good." I told the person icily. I was in no mood to talk to anyone.

"S-S-Sasuke-kun!!" Stammered the woman I immediately recognized as Hinata. She sounded frantic and out of breath. As if she were running.

"Hinata?" I asked, sounding more surprised than I had expected. "S-Sa…S-Sasuke-kun- is your brother Itachi with you?!"

"No. His office is vacant." I answered as I made my way back to the elevator. "I…I think that Itachi's trying to lift the curse off Sakura!" Hinata replied, breathing heavily. My assumptions were correct as my thoughts began to run wild. She _was _running. But why?

"Explain. **Now**." I commanded as I gripped the phone near breaking point. "I-I don't know the details, but there's a way of lifting the curse with the possible chance of both Sakura and your child living- however …the fatality rate is high…the chances of survival are less than 56%-but only because Sakura's more than half way through her pregnancy-"

"**.it. **What is Itachi planning to do to Sakura?!" I snarled as I headed back to the elevator. But I nearly dropped the phone as the woman explained the conditions to me.

"_You have to stab the mother's __**heart**__ 35 centimeters in!!"_

I was about to deny her answer; to demand a better fitting answer until something terrible had occurred to me.

"_Sasuke-kun…something tells me that I'm meant to have this child. To keep it inside me…"_

"_Sasuke-kun, I talked to Itachi-san the other night- he's being so supportive of my decision to keep our child!"_

It all seemed to click together.

"_It's been 5 months already…I'm already half way through!"_

I had been set up.

"_Sasuke-kun, the baby isn't due yet. One more month."_

It had been Itachi's plan all along to get me away from Sakura. His plan all along.

"_You have 15 minutes. Top floor. Tardiness will not be tolerated, otouto."_

To destroy the curse no matter what the cost.

But the cost was greater than any curse I would've endured in my lifetime.

This was _Sakura's _life.

Soon to become an Uchiha matriarch.

However, there was a loud thump on the other line and a horrified gasp which immediately interrupted my thoughts.

"_**S-SAKURA!!!!!!!**__"_

I yelled, snarled, commanded Hinata to speak and explain what had possessed her to give such a blood-curdling scream until I realized that maybe…just maybe…

I was too late.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Earlier…_

The sound of the front door knocking caught Sakura's attention at once. Thoughtfully, she wondered who would be visiting her mid-afternoon. Ino had gone off with Shikamaru on a romantic getaway, Naruto was busying working and Hinata had to take care of her sick father since her sister Hanabi was away. And she had not heard from Tenten after she had married Neji 4 months into her pregnancy.

A smile formed at her lips when she decided it was none other than Sasuke. Perhaps he had been so heated about going to work on his week of vacation that he had forgotten his key?

Or…it was the opportunity to pounce on her the moment she opened the door. A game he loved to play.

But as she approached the door slowly and opened it at an equal pace, her cheeks turned red when realizing that it wasn't Sasuke, but Itachi.

"I-Itachi-san? Aren't you supposed to be at the offi-"but her voice trailed off when a sudden pain struck her chest. When her crimson eyes flashed downward, her eyes met a silver dagger bearing the Uchiha crest piercing her skin.

"It…Ita…ch…i…sa…n…? Wh…y…?" she breathed as he ripped the dagger from her chest and watched her fall to the ground, blood spilling from the wound he had created. Obsidian eyes watched the thick crimson liquid run towards his feet.

"Let's see if you're strong enough to survive, Haruno Sakura." He sneered before walking out and shutting the door behind him. Only to have Hinata find a bloody, lifeless Sakura at her feet the moment she barged into the Uchiha mansion.

A horrified gasp escaped her lips before the phone was released from her grip as a blood-curdling scream filled the air.

"**S…SAKURA!!!!!"**

**TBC…**

**I decided that because of my absence I'd leave you guys a nice, lengthy chapter filled with suspense and terror ^^.**

**The next chapter will be the last. And depending how I end it, there might be a sequel.**

**Also;**

**Usotsuki- liar**

**Aka me- red eyes**

**Shinigami no me- Shinigami eyes**

**Kekkei genkai- bloodline limit**

_Because she was no exception…_

_**xxasukachanxx**_


	5. The Exception

**You're No Exception**

**I got inspiration- which is nice and lengthy- so I wrote this in record timing. This is the last chapter.**

**PLEASE READ THE BOLD WORDS AT THE END!!! AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ALL THE READERS!!**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

x-x-x

if you've ever come close to losing someone you love

You know the feeling of anxiety, fear, and_ anguish_

And the only thing you want to know is

If they're going to be alright.

x-x-x

"How is he doing?"

"…Not so good."

"…?"

"…It's like…he's not here anymore. Just look at him Hinata-chan."

Glance.

Wince.

"…S-Sasuke-kun really cares for her, doesn't he?"

"I think it's more than that Hinata-chan…I think…teme's in _love _with her."

-

-

-

"Poor girl. What happened to her?"

"Not sure, Machiko-shishou, but Hyuuga-sama claimed that this was attempted murder."

"Such a sweet girl she is. She doesn't deserve to be targeted just because she's the Uchiha heir's lover."

_Haruno Sakura; Chance of Survival: 53%_

x-x-x

I had always understood it.

"_Good morning Sasuke-kun! Did you study last night?"_

The feeling of emptiness.

"_It really _is_ you…"_

I had lost those precious to me; my family.

"_Sasuke-kun…why do you hate me?"_

However I accepted this fact because I believed that this is what a monster deserved; no feelings higher than eternal pain.

"_I don't want to be away from you anymore."_

But this was different.

"_To me, it was always you."_

I wanted to believe that I didn't deserve _this _type of loss. Nor did I want to believe that she did either.

"_In the end, nothing would've kept me from you, Sasuke-kun."_

An angel did not deserve death for trying to save a wretch. If anything, I should be the one to fall.

She was the one that seemed to slow the world's rotation just enough for me to comprehend this cursed life. I owed her it…for giving me a reason to live.

And this was how I repaid her. Because of my foolishness Sakura was in critical condition. Because I was careless, it were possible that she wouldn't make it through the night.

I should've _known_ what my brother had been plotting; should've seen the _signs _of foul play.

But I didn't.

"_His intentions aren't good, Sakura." Sasuke said as he helped her slice fresh tomatoes for her soup. (His favorite soup..)_

_A smile appeared on her cherry lips. "Sasuke-kun, if I listened to everything you said I wouldn't be here right now." She teased, chuckling to herself. Onyx eyes glared at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm serio-"but his voice trailed off when the sharp knife grazed the side of his index finger; drawing blood._

_Quickly Sakura moved him over to the sink and rinsed off the oozing cut. "You have to be more careful!" she scolded as she pulled out a band-aid from her apron pocket. She had been prepared._

_As she wrapped his finger carefully, she smiled at the work and kissed it lightly. _ _"Just give him a chance, Sasuke-kun. And if you're suspicious- even a little bit of what he says to me, then I'll stop talking to him. But until then, love your brother as yourself. As you love me."_

My brother sensed this from her; forgiving and easily persuaded. Sakura had trusted his all but honest words; being fooled by his façade to seem…_good_.

"_You have to stab the mother's __**heart**__ 35 centimeters in!"_

My phone began to vibrate loudly in my pocket as the words of the Hyuuga heiress returned to me. As I flipped it open, I spoke not a word. A wave of rage overcame me when the voice of the man responsible for Sakura's critical condition entered my ears:

Itachi.

"_Outside. I'll be waiting." _And with that, he hung up.

As if the curse had never left me, my vision was hazy with crimson and blood lust filled my soul. I vaguely remember being stopped by the dobe, who had come to comfort me and my lifeless appearance. However, I shoved my way past him.

"**Not. Now.**" I snarled at him as I passed before disappearing around a corner.

And for once, I heard not a word from Uzumaki Naruto.

x-x-x

Upon reaching the sliding door of the hospital, my head snapped left, then right. I wanted nothing more than to find him. To find him and make him **pay **for hurting Sakura.

"You're faster than I had assumed." I heard him say from behind me. A murderous snarl- one suitable for a monster- escaped my lips as I shoved my brother into the hospital wall. As if I were under water, the sound of the brick and cement crumbling under my strength were muffled by the rage boiling inside me.

However, Itachi remained expressionless.

"I could kill you now, **Itachi**." I seethed at him as a feeling of satisfaction surged through me at the sight of seeing a trail of crimson liquid seep from the top of his forehead and curl down his chin.

I wanted to see **more**.

With blinding speed I grabbed his wrist and began to snap his fingers every which way.

One. By. One.

More satisfaction came from me.

Itachi remained silent. Not even the slightest bit of emotion or alarm appeared on his features, causing more murderous rage to emit from me and burn my irises.

When no finger on his right hand remained unbroken, I snapped his wrist effortlessly. I was amazed with the strength given to me.

So _this _was what it was like to be completely filled with anger and murderous intent.

"Are you _finished_, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, his voice dripped with annoyance as if he were in no pain at all. Hatred began to burn my skin as images of a bloody, lifeless Sakura blinded me with uncontrollable anger.

When my vision cleared, I had instantly realized that I had stricken him. And hard enough to break his nose and fracture his cheekbone.

Had I always been this strong? It was unknown to me, since I had never directed pure fury and hatred towards anyone but myself.

I took a step back. "You're the _lowest _of all things." I hissed at him as I noticed I was shaking with anger. As if the pain did not occur to him, with his unbroken left hand, Itachi calmly wiped the blood from his mouth. "Anger will be your undoing."

"Did you enjoy the way her blood spilled, Itachi? Or the way she _cringed _when you stabbed her? Pierced her **heart**?!!" I roared, fighting back the urge to kill him this very second as more images haunted my thoughts.

It was unbearable to think about; a life without Sakura…made no sense.

My brother remained silent. "Give me one good reason not to kill you _right now_." I commanded.

"I see you conversed with the Hyuuga." Itachi answered as his onyx eyes closed and re-opened. In a blur of a second, the man was up against the wall again. "**Wrong answer**." I told him.

"The curse will be lifted." The man told me calmly. "At what cost?! The cost of Sakura's _life_? Our **child's **life?!" I yelled.

"The blade grazed the edge of her left ventricle; missing the vital parts of it by _3.5 millimeters_. Sakura will_ live_."

I released my brother with shock. "…What…?" the word escaped my mouth before I could stop it. Onyx eyes studied me intently. "Sakura will live."

Without another second wasted, I sprinted back into the hospital and back to the critical care unit. I had to be sure; had to be certain that the words my brother spoke were not another series of lies. Yet as I did, the intense gaze his onyx eyes seemed to hold as he spoke did appear to be dishonest.

As I recalled, as a child, when Itachi was a more honest man, he had held the same intense expression.

As if he were screaming, _'believe me'_.

"Oh! Uchiha-san! We were just looking for you!" A dark haired nurse told me as her features lightened immensely. "Sakura," I told her intensely. "Tell me her status _now_."

"I-I…"

"Are you scaring the nurses _again_, Sasuke?" asked a spiky, silver-haired doctor, his mouth was covered with a mask. "Kakashi." I acknowledged. He gave me a crinkled smile, hidden behind his mask as he approached me.

"Sakura will be fine. The stab wound was unusual; missing the left ventricle by 3.5 millimeters." He paused to examine a chart on the clipboard cradled in his hand dully. "But what's _more _unusual is the fact that the woman is pregnant. The wound should've killed the child instantly, however the child's vital signs remained healthy."

"We were skeptical about performing the surgery or not since it would possibly dangerous to the child. We were even ready to perform an emergency C-section, but with Kakashi-sensei's help, the surgery was successful and your child will be born on time" the nurse added with a smile.

I tuned out to the Kakashi's chortles of modesty as I thought about this. A wave of confusion and disbelieve covered me, dissipating the uncontrollable rage I had felt moments before.

"HOLY SHIT!!! SHE'S GONNA LIVE! SHE'S GONNA LIVE, HINATA-CHAN!!! I GOTTA TELL SASUKE!" screamed an ecstatic Naruto as he ran around the corner. When his blue eyes spotted me, happy tears began to stream down his face.

Suddenly, the man appeared in front of me and began to shake my shoulders violently. "SASUKE-TEME!! SAKURA-CHAN'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT!!! MACHIKO-CHAN JUST TOLD ME THAT SHE-"

"Louder than ever, eh Naruto?" Kakashi asked with a chuckle as he gave another crinkled smile. Naruto flung himself at the spiky haired doctor and began to thank him hysterically. I did not stay around to witness it. I had only one goal to achieve.

And that was to see for myself that Sakura- and our child was alright.

I entered her room slowly, my heart immediately filling with relief at the sight. Though she was not conscious, I was aware of the soft beep emanating from the vital sign monitor. As if I were full of lead, I slowly made my way over to the pink haired woman propped up and sleeping peacefully on the bed.

My legs gave way as I fell onto the stool beside her bed. A shaking hand reached out to touch her face. It was warm; blood was coursing through her veins. My hand moved down to her bulging stomach. The child inside her seemed to move at the touch; as if reaching out to touch me.

I was suddenly incapable of feeling anything but peace as I felt my child- _our _child-responding to my touch and became unaware of the softness my onyx eyes held.

"S-So the curse has been lifted, for good?" A soft voice asked from the doorway, Hinata. "Aah." I managed without turning to meet her violet-eyed gaze.

"Gomen na sai, Sasuke-kun. I-I was so alarmed by what I had found out I didn't bother to re-read the numbers-"

"Arigato." I told her quietly. The woman yelped in alarm. "W-W-What did you just say?" she asked in disbelief.

This time, I turned around to face her. "Arigato." I repeated. A heavy blush appeared on the heiress's cheeks as she stared at me wildly. "W-W-What did I do, Sasuke-kun? I-I didn't do anything but alarm you-"

But I shook my head and stood up. "Sakura would be dead if you hadn't found her." I paused to look back at Sakura as I clenched my fists. "I was…careless."

Hinata touched my hand lightly. "Sakura would've been dead a long time ago if youhadn't re-appeared." She told me.

My eyebrows furrowed as the heiress began to explain. "She never…had the greatest relationship with her father. He used to beat her and her mother because of alcoholism. A few weeks before she found you Sakura's father reappeared in her life and demanded her to give him money to pay for his alcohol fix since her mother is… no longer living." She paused to wipe a tear from her eyes before continuing.

"The week she found you Sakura had become extremely depressed. She had even mentioned suicide because the past few weeks had been hard on her. I believe that if she didn't find you when she did, Sakura w-would've committed gone through with it. Y-You're like her guardian angel, Sasuke-kun. She lives for you, Sasuke-kun."

I was at a loss of words. Never had Sakura mentioned her dark family history to me, but when asked about her them, the explanations were blunt and without explanation.

"_Why is this picture torn?" Sasuke asked the pink haired woman as she was sorting through an old box she had kept when she was a child. Though the gesture went unnoticed by the man, Sakura's emerald eyes darkened as she held up the picture of a 13 year old Sakura standing in front of her mother. _

"_That part was messed up, so I ripped it off."_

"_Hn."_

I would've never expected Sakura to be talking about her father that day. I recalled another time when her family had been brought up during the first stages of her pregnancy.

"_Sakura- Sakura!" The Uchiha heir called to the pinkette as he shook her. She had been thrashing around on the bed, and screaming, pleading for something to stop and calling out to her mother. When her tear filled crimson eyes snapped open, Sakura's arms wrapped hysterically around Sasuke. _

"_What happened?" Sasuke demanded, his onyx eyes filled with alarm and concern. Sakura wiped her crimson eyes and smiled weakly at him. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I had a nightmare." She replied. "It's nothing."_

"_You were _screaming_." He added, unconvinced that it 'was nothing'. The smile faded as she looked downward. "…someone was trying to hurt my mother; a stranger." She replied. "Where was your father?" Sasuke asked curiously. _

"…_He died a long time ago. He was an alcoholic since I was born, but kept it under control until I was 7…"_

"Sakura's father started to beat her and her mother when she was 7, so she's always hated to be home when her father was around. But she stayed so her mother wouldn't have to bear the burden of having his rage directed at her alone." Hinata wiped more tears away.

It hadn't occurred to me as to why she hadn't called out to her father once in her fit of terrified screams. Nor had it occurred to me that the "stranger" was her father who hadn't died at all.

"You could almost say that she tried to 'carry the burden' for her mother."

The words hit me as if I had been hit by a wall. As if I had hit myself as I did my brother earlier. Sakura suffered alongside her mother so she wouldn't have to suffer alone.

Even as a small child Sakura had been selfless. She truly was an angel. My angel.

As I had appeared to be by her.

"Sa..s…u……n…." Sakura mumbled in her sleep. My head snapped back to her as I returned to her side. "Sakura," I called. But the heiress seemed to giggle quietly at my action.

I glared at her; demanding an explanation as to why she found my concern humorous. "Gomen na sai, Sasuke-kun. It's just…that even in her sleep Sakura calls out to you. You two are meant to be together." Hinata replied.

My eyes marveled at the woman I was "destined" to be with and studied her peaceful features. Even from the beginning Sakura never thought twice about sacrificing her happiness for another.

But this time, it was my turn to take care of her. I swore to myself that she would never live another day in fear of having her father return to hurt her or feel lonely again.

_(Because I refused to live another day without her.)_

As Hinata turned to leave, the heiress stole one last glance at us before shutting the door soundlessly behind her.

x-x-x

"Ahhh!!!"

"Almost, Haruno-san! Just a few more pushes!"

"UCHIHA SASUKE!!! I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!!!"

"…Saku-"

"H-Hang in there Sakura!"

"ARGHHH!!"

"…He's beautiful…Kami-sama…"

"I-I've never seen such a beautiful child…"

After being cleaned up, the child was handed to Sasuke by the envious nurses who marveled at the sight of the man's perfect newborn son. Immediately after settling in his arms, the boy quieted down and blindly reached for his father who allowed his son to tug on his index finger.

The women smiled at the obvious softness Sasuke's eyes seemed to hold.

"W-Where is my baby…?" Sakura asked in exhaustion. Immediately Sasuke sat beside her on the hospital bed. The child turned to Sakura's and grabbed her pink locks gently.

The woman opened her emerald eyes to stare into Sasuke's. A smile curled at her lips as he kissed her forehead. "We did it…we really did it…" she whispered. But when the raven haired man leaned to hand her the child, it began to whimper.

"No fair, Sasuke-kun…he already loves you more than me." Sakura protested tiredly as she struggled not to smile and stay conscious. Emerald eyes then looked at him curiously. "What should we name him, Sasuke-kun?"

"Toshiro." Sasuke replied as their child opened his dark emerald eyes which bore into his father's onyx ones. "Toshiro," Sakura repeated with a wider smile. "Our son Toshiro."

"Hn," the man answered before looking away. "Uchiha Sakura."

"Sa-Sasuke-kun…do you mean you-"

"Sasuke-teme!! Sakura-chan!!!" Screamed the loud blonde as he barged into the room despite the protests of the nurses behind him. But when his ocean blue eyes met the happy couple sitting together on Sakura's hospital bed; their child in Sasuke's arms, the man beamed.

"I didn't think it was possible but I think Sasuke-teme will make a great dad!" Naruto teased as he bounced over to them and stared at the slightly dark haired, sleeping child. "Wow! What's his name, Sakura-chan?"

"Uchiha Toshiro." Sakura repeated as she took hold of Sasuke's hand and gave it a light squeeze. Naruto grinned. "Well Toshiro! Your uncle here is gonna teach you _lots_ of things when you when you get older!"

Emerald eyes stared at him murderously. "You will **not **corrupt my son's mind, Naruto. Understand?" she threatened. "Come on Sakura-chan! He'll have to learn sooner or later how he was ma-"

"Naruto!!"

Sasuke chuckled quietly as the two began to squabble lightheartedly. His onyx eyes moved from Naruto, to Sakura, and lastly onto the sight of his son undisturbed by the noise around him. The sight made his eyes soften immensely.

All his life he had made himself to believe he would never get this chance; to have a family and friends; to live a peaceful life. But now that the curse had been lifted from his family, Sasuke seemed to have been given hope that everything would work out in the end.

"I was just kidding Sakura-chann…" Naruto complained as he rubbed a bump on the side of his head. But as he did, the man pulled out his vibrating cell phone and read a text from Hinata. "Sorry guys, but I gotta run."

The pink haired woman seemed to sadden at the sight of her friend leaving. "Couldn't you stay longer so Hinata can see the baby?" she asked. Naruto shook his blonde locks and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Hinata-chan's old man wanted us over there in an hour. Some Hyuuga tradition thing…" he mumbled.

"You'll visit soon won't you?" Sakura asked with hopeful eyes. The blonde grinned and embraced her lovingly. "Wouldn't miss seeing you guys for all the ramen in the world!"

"C'mon dobe," Sasuke mumbled as he stood to walk towards the doorway. "You're coming to see me off, teme?" Naruto asked, surprised by his best friend's sudden act of kindness.

"Hn," Sasuke answered as he turned to open the door. "Someone has to make sure you find your way out."

"Teme I only got lost 3 times!!"

"Hn."

Sakura giggled as she watched her boys walk out the door, mouthing the words 'I love you' to the raven haired man when he gave her one last look. But instantaneously after Sasuke had shut the door, Toshiro began to whimper.

"It's alright Toshi-kun," She whispered to her child lovingly. "You'll see them soon."

x-x-x

"You've always had it so good, y'know teme?" Naruto asked his best friend as the two turned a corner. "Hn?" Sasuke replied as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I mean, you have everything anyone could ever ask for; money, a family, a huge ass house to fit it all in…you even own your own company!" He rambled as he shook his head. Onyx eyes looked at him questioningly as he continued. "And you thought you didn't deserve to be happy. Guess Sakura-chan proved you wrong, huh?"

"Aah." Sasuke replied. For once, Naruto had been right. Sakura had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. At times, he wondered that if he _hadn't _chosen to walk through Konoha that day, what would his life be like now?

Would he have been as happy? Would he have _ever _been happy?

"I wish I could've figured out why you thought you were so screwed up, teme." Naruto asked when Sasuke resurfaced from his thoughts. "If I could spend one day in your shoes back then I think things would've made more sense and I'd feel like Sakura-chan wasn't the ony one that was really there for you. Y'know?"

"She wasn't." Sasuke replied, but something inside him began to unsettle at the way he had worded his sentence. "Well, it just feels that way. See you around, teme." The blonde man said with a grin as he stepped out of the elevator and towards Hinata who was waiting a few feet away.

"Aah."

But as the elevator close, Sasuke's phone began to vibrate. It was Itachi.

"What." Sasuke demanded. Though he had apologized for taking his rage out on his brother before understanding his motives, the thought of heartlessly attempting to kill Sakura still made his blood boil.

"The situation has changed. Sakura wasn't the sole person closest to you." Itachi told him cryptically, causing Sasuke to remain silent. "Be wary of what the blonde says to you, Sasuke."

But as Itachi hung up, the phone slipped out of Sasuke's hands as shock and realization set in.

"_No_."

x-x-x

As Naruto walked towards his beautiful girlfriend, a smile began to appear on his fox-like features. He was overjoyed by the thought of Sasuke finally happy. It showed on his features. The hard, ice-like expression his best friend had worn since they were children seemed to be slowly dissipating; melting away like a glacier in the sun.

Sakura and his son were that sun.

But with every step he took, Naruto began to feel a strange sensation coming over him as his vision began to shift and blur; like a demagnetized video tape. "Naruto-kun?" He idly heard Hinata ask as he stopped to cradle his head in his left hand.

Then, suddenly, a dark, mocking voice filled his ears.

_**So you have wished it… **_It began as Naruto's vision began to cloud over with a bloody red haze.

…_**so it shall be. **_It finished before numbers began to form above Hinata's head.

_53 years. 27 days. 15 hours. 43 minutes. 127 seconds._

"What…is this…?" the blonde asked in horror as things suddenly became very, _very_…

_Red_.

**End.**

**^^ Heh. Unnerving ending, wasn't it? I thought long and hard about the ending and almost ended it with them having a happy life. But, I decided that it would've been too cliché and unlike me to end this type of story without a twist. **

**Please review! If I get enough demands from you guys I **_**might **_**decide on creating a sequel and have it under NaruxHina. Otherwise, this is it for You're No Exception.**

_Because (in the end), she _was_ an exception…_

_**xxasukachanxx**_


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